Parosus amayae López-García & Marín-Gómez, 2018

López-García, Margarita M. & Marín-Gómez, Oscar H., 2018, Description and notes on natural history of a new species of Parosus Sharp, 1887 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Oxytelinae) living in floral bracts of Columnea medicinalis L. (Gesneriaceae), Zootaxa 4394 (4), pp. 559-566 : 561-564

Parosus amayae López-García & Marín-Gómez , sp. nov.

( Figs. 3–6 , 10–12 )

Type material. Holotype. Colombia, Nariño, Barbacoas, Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, brácteas de Columnea medicinalis , 26.vii.2013, Col: O.H. Marín-Gómez (1 male, ICN-MHN). Paratypes (10 males, 14 females). Colombia, Nariño, Barbacoas, Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, brácteas de Columnea medicinalis , 26.vii.2013, Col: O.H. Marín-Gómez (2 males, 2 females ICN-MHN). Colombia, Nariño, Barbacoas, Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, Brácteas de Columnea medicinalis (Gesneriaceae) , 29.vii.2013, leg. O.H. Marín- Gómez (3 males, 3 females, ICN-MHN). Colombia, Nariño, Barbacoas, Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, Brácteas de Columnea medicinalis (Gesneriaceae) , 26.vii.2013, leg. O.H. Marín-Gómez (1 dissected female, FMNH). Colombia, Nariño dept., Barbacoas, Correg. Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, La Paila, 1°17’12.0"N 78°04’19.4"W, 1400 m, En brácteas de Columnea medicinalis , 3.ii.2014, leg. O.H. Marín-Gómez (1 male, 3 females, NHMW). Colombia, Nariño, Barbacoas, Correg. Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, En brácteas de Columnea medicinalis , 4.ii.2014, leg. O.H. Marín-Gómez (2 males, 2 females, ICN-MHN, 1 male, FMNH, 1 male, 3 females, MHNG).

Larvae. Two L 3 larvae collected with the holotype are deposited in FMNH (also deposited here a possibly non-conspecific species, L1 larva and L3 larva, sampled at the same event). Further larvae (an L1 and L 3 larvae illustrated in Figs. 7-8 ) have the data " Colombia, Nariño, Barbacoas, Correg. Altaquer, Reserva Natural Río Ñambí, En brácteas de Columnea medicinalis , 4.ii.2014, leg. O.H. Marín-Gómez" and are in various conditions and completeness (in FMNH). The larval specimens are similar to those of Paraploderus (Figs. 78–79 in Makranczy, 2016) except the very distinctive dark "stretch marks" found in the abdominal intersegments (Peter M. Hammond, pers. comm.) that are present in Parosus and this is a common feature with Ochthephilus , Thinodromus and Carpelimus , but lacking in Paraploderus .

Diagnosis. Parosus amayae López-García & Marín-Gómez sp. nov. is similar to Parosus rossii Makranzcy, 2014 from Ecuador on its color and general habitus. However, the new species can be differentiated by the completely dark brown to black abdomen, larger body size (4.42–5.50 mm), and spoon shaped apexes of the parameres ( Fig. 4 ). In P. rossii the base of the abdomen is lighter, the body size is shorter (2.73–3.72 mm), and the apexes of the parameres are wider and straight.

Description. Habitus as in Fig. 3 . Measurements (n=10): HW = 1.02 (0.94–1.11); TW = 1.08 (1.01–1.15); PW = 0.96 (0.89–1.04); SW = 0.87 (0.78–0.93); MW = 1.04 (0.89–1.13); AW = 0.86 (0.70–0.91); HL = 0.87 (0.79– 0.93); EL = 0.17 (0.16–0.21); FL = 0.12 (0.10–0.17); Tl = 0.32 (0.30–0.36); PL = 0.63 (0.57–0.69); SL = 0.91 (0.85–0.94); SC = 0.86 (0.83–0.90); FB = 2.67 (2.53–3.0); BL = 4.95 (4.42–5.50). Body 'bicolored'. Head black (supra-antennal prominences only slightly lighter), pronotum strongly reddish brown, elytra and abdomen black to dark brown. Legs, mouthparts, and antennae light reddish brown to orange. Dorsal surface with medium short and medium dense pale setae, slightly longer and sparse on frons, abdomen with much longer and sparser setae.

Head slightly wider than long. Mid-antennal articles moderately elongated (antennomere 6 length:width = 0.096: 0.065 mm). Clypeus trapezoidal, ratio of longitudinal distance of supraantennal prominence tip from eyefront to the same from clypeal front = 0.48–0.50. Infraocular ridge conspicuous, ending in a short keel after the posterior ocular edge. Temple straight strongly curved at the posterior 2/3. Eye strongly bulging. Clypeus and supraantennal ridges very shiny, with a few small, scattered punctures only. Vertex dense and strongly punctate. Clypeus slightly elevated, frontoclypeal groove inconspicuous, only as a borderline before the strongly punctured area. Head with about 32–34 'longitudinal' puncture lines, punctation becoming very dispersed in the triangle of the supraantennal prominences and the mid-vertex.

Pronotum wider than long, maximum pronotal width 1.91x base width. Base straight, apex medially curved upwards, sides curved, anterior pronotal angles slightly sharp. Pronotal midline slightly elevated, shiny, and glabrous. Each side of midline broadly depressed. Pronotal disc densely punctate, punctures slightly smaller than those on head. Pronotal margins with four widely separated macrosetae on each side, one on the apical margin and the remaining three on the lateral margins.

Elytra slightly dilated posteriorly, with two small, elongate impressions behind scutellum. Elytral punctation not umbilicate, as large as on pronotum, separated by about 2 puncture diameters. Hind margin of tergite VII with a medially serrate fringe. Aedeagus as in Fig. 4–5 . Spermatheca as in Fig. 6 .

Etymology. Parosus amayae López-García & Marín-Gómez sp. nov. was named after professor Marisol Amaya-Márquez (Universidad Nacional de Colombia) who has studied the taxonomy and ecology of the species of Columnea for more than twenty years and has made important contributions for knowing the diversity of Gesneriaceae in Colombia.

Distribution. The species is only known from the Natural Reserve Río Ñambí (Nariño, Colombia).

Figures

FIGURES3–6. Parosus amayaeLópez-García &Marín-Gómez sp. nov. 3) Male habitus, 4)Right paramere inlateral view, 5) Aedeagus in frontal view, 6) Spermatheca. Scale bar=0.1 mm for Figs.4–6.

FIGURES 7–12. Columnea medicinalis: 7) Hemiepiphytic habitus, 8) Detail of a branch, 9) Detail of an inflorescence. Parosus amayae López-García & Marín-Gómez sp. nov.: 10) L1 and L3 larvae, 11–12) Larva and adult on bracts of C. medicinalis.